Snap on and off lug-formed cap



C. HAMMER SNAP 0N AND OFF LUG FORMED CAP med Feb. 18, 1926 Patented Nov.2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HAMMER, OF HOLLIS COURT BOULEVARD, NEW YORK, ASSIG'NOR TO AMERI-CAN METAL CAP COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SNAP ON.AND OFF LUG-FORMED CAP.

Application filed February 18, 1926. Serial No. 88,990.

This invention relates to metal caps or closures for glass containers,the object of the invention being to provide a snap-on and a snap-olilug cap thereby providing an improved sealed receptacle in which `thecap may be readily snapped on either by hand or by machine and readilysnapped oit by 'the customer by simply liftingthe cap from thecontainer, without rotating; rocking or turning the cap.

It is common in this art to rotate caps on an-d 0H:l oi' containers orto have the caps held Von by mere friction butthe present improvementhas to do with a lug cap or closuie which may be both readily snapped onand snapped oit while the top of `the cap is level or parallel with thetop ot the container and which will besecurely held upon the. containerwithout any liability of being prematurely knocked oit. 4

In the drawings accompanying andl forining a part of this speciiication,Fig. 1 is a` vvertical sectional view oi' this improved cap applied to acontainer; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the container an-dcap lon line 2 2 the dotted lines illustrating the manner in which thecap skirt is pressed inwardly to snap oitv the cap; Fig. 3' is also avertical sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. l and Vshowing indotted lines the release oi' the lugs from the container shoulder; Fig.4 is a vertical sectional viewv illust-rating another way in which thecap may be released; Fig. 5 is a .sectional viewillustrating thisimproved cap in connection with one form of band closure; and Fig. 6illustrates this improved cap with another form of band closure.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral views.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode ofoperation thereof, I desire to have it understood that the invention isnot limited to the details of construction and arrangement of partswhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the inventionis capa-bleef other embodiments, -and that the phraseology which Iemploy is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Y

The container,usually of glass, shown in the 'ferm of a bottle 2 has arib or shoulder 3 at its mouth for the reception ofr this improved capand this shoulder is constructed to permit the cap to be readily snappedon and Jfor this purpose is provided with a` curved outer surfacesomewhat rounded or tapering from its base toward the mouth of thebottle thereby to gradually spread the lugs of the cap outward as theCap is` snapped on'.

The cap comprises a top 4 having a depending corrugated resilient flangeor skirt 5 substantially'straight from top to bottom and having astrengthened orv reinforced lower edge 6 shown as curled, rolled orbeaded7 having a plurality of inwardly pressed locking lugs 7 shown inthe present instance as two diametrically opposed lugs formed trom su'chcurled or beaded edge. This curled or beaded lower edge not onlystrengthens the skirtand lugs, as do also V .terial 1to permit theproper yielding of the lugs over the shoulder of the container when thecap is snapped on. The cap is usually provided with asuitablecompressible member such as a ring gasket and as shown herein thiscompressible member is in the torni of a liner 8 of suitable thicknessfor sealing the top of the container.

In applying the cap 'to the container it is located level or parallelwith the top of the container and by suitable pressure as by hand orotherwise it is then forced downward so that the lugs or -projections ofthe cap will spring or yield outwardly owing to the resilient fla-ngeand the shape of the shoulder and thus pass over the lip, ribv orshoulder at the mouth of the container andV then when thus snapped onthe lugs lock or grip u nder the shoulder oi" the container.

The container shoulder 3 in one form is provided with a pair oit'lengthened recesses 9 at opposite sides, usually about the'width of athumb, thereby providing a space between the cap flange and the sidewall iO of the container at the base of the shoulder` tions of the skirtopposite the recesses 9 of the container will be squeezed or pressedinwardly, see Fig. 2, andas these recesses are located intermediate thelocking lugs or projections of the cap this inward squeezingl of the capiiange or skirt forces the lugs outward and from under the shoulder ofthe bottle as illustrated in dotted lines 7 Figs. 2 and 3, therebyreleasing the cap so that it can be readily snapped off while the top islevel or parallel with the top of the container.

The same result is also obtained see Fig. 4 by making' the skirt of thecap slightly larger than the shoulder of the container thus leaving` aspace ll between the shoulder of the container and the flange of the capto permit the flange to be squeezed or pushed inward thereby releasingthe lugs in the manner just described.

The lugs of the cap may be preformed or may be formed subsequent to theapplication of the cap by machinery if preferred, but in practice it ispreferable to preform the lugs since a much more efficient form of lugis obtained.

From the foregoingit will be observed that I am able to provide animproved cap having` practically a straight iange having two oppositelylocated lugs` that can be readily snapped on and readily released by thepressure of the hand, while the top of the cap is always level orparallel with the top of the container so th at the cap can both beapplied and removed in a straight or vertical direction, the removalbeingobtained by merely squeezing' the cap skirt intermediate its pairof opposed lugs.

I am entirely familiar with the fact that containers are provided withrecessed shoulders or lips at the mouth thereof and that caps areprovided with lugs but in all of these structures of which I am aware,the cap either has to be rotated on or off by first registering` withthe recesses in the lip. This requires too much time when it isremembered that millions of containers are sealed per day whereas in thepresent improvement the cap can be quickly and readily snapped on thusvery materially saving time and labor in the packaging of millions ofcontainers per day, and when on the cap will effectively hold withoutany risk of being prematurely knocked off and moreover the cap is moreefficiently held on to the container since it is held in position notonly by the gripping or locking action of the lugs, but also by thespring action of t-he flange or skirt.

This improved cap does away with the necessity of rotating` the cap onor off, the lugs of which frequently scrape and scratch the underside ofthe container threads causing them to chip or break off especially ifthe container is made of brittle glass, and

furthermore the cap can be 'readily released by the mere pressure orsqueezing` of the cap by the hand of the user or customer so that thedifficulty of getting' the cap off, which it not infrequently presentwhen the cap has to be rotated off, due to its sticking and binding' iseliminated and the cap can be reused as often as desired, so that thehousewife can always maintain the container in sealed condition.

It is to be understood that by describing in detail herein anyparticular forni structure or arrangement, it is not intended to limitthe invention beyond the terms et the several claims or the requiremetsof the prior art.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described away of constructing and usingthe same, although without attempting toset forth ali of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the modesof its use, I claim:

1. A metal cap adapted for use with a container having a shoulder at itsmouth and comprising' a top havingV a depending resilient skirt providedwith a pair of diametrically opposed inwardly extending locking' lugs,thc container shoulder havinea pair of relatively wide recessesintermediate the lugs forming a space between the side wall of thecontainer and the skirt thereby to permit the cap to be readily snappedoft on the squeezing of the cap skirt at such recesses.

2. A sealed receptacle comprising a container having; a shoulder or lipat the mouth thereof and a metal cap comprising a top having a dependingresilient skirt provided with a strengthened or reinforced lower edgehaving formed therefrom a pair of diametrieally opposed inwardlyextending locking lugs, the resiliency and size of the skirt being suchthat the cap can be readily snapped on over the shoulder of thecontainer and have its lugs grip under such shoulder and prevent itspremature knocking; off from the container, said skirt and containerbeing formed one relative to the other to provide a space between theskirt and the side wall of the container intermediate such lugswhereupon by squeezing the cap skirt between such lugs the cap can bereadily snapped off while the top is parallel with the mouth of thecontainer.

3. A sealed receptacle comprising? a container having` a shoulder or lipat the mouth thereof and a shoulder located therebelow. a metal capcomprisingr a top having' a depending resilient skirt provided with a.strengthened or reinforced lower edge having formed therefrom a pair ofdiametricallv opposed inwardly extending locking` lugs, the resiliencyand size of the skirt being: such that the cap can be readily snapped onover the shoulder of the container and have its lugs grip under suchshoulder and prevent its premature knocking o' from the container, saidskirt and container being formed one relatively to the other to providea space between the skirt and the side wall of the containerintermediate such lugs whereupon by squeezing the cap skirt between suchlugs the cap can be readily snapped 0E while the top is parallel withthe mouth of the container, and a detachable band seal for seeuring thecap to the shoulder located below the mouth shoulder.

4. A sealed receptacle comprising a container having a shoulder or lipat the mouth thereof and a shoulder located therebelow, a metal capcomprising a top having a depending resilient skirt provided with astrengthened or reinforced lower edge having formed therefrom a pair ofdiametrically opposed inwardly extending locking lugs, the resiliencyand size of the skirt being such that the cap can be readily snapped onover the shoulder of the container and have its lugs grip under such'shoulder and prevent its premature knocking olin from the container,said skirt and `container being formed one relative tothe other toprovide aspace between the skirt and the side wall of the containerintermediate such lugs whereupon by squeezing the cap skirt between suchlugs the cap can be readily snapped oil while the top is parallel withthe mouth of the container, and a detachable band seal for securing thecap to the shoulder located below the mouth shoulder and comprising a.band overlapping a part ofthe cap and underlapping said second shoulder.

5. A sealed receptacle comprising a container having a shoulder or lipat the mouth thereof and a shoulder located therebelow, a metal capcomprising a top having a depending 'resilient skirt provided with astrengthened or reinforced lower edge having formed therefrom a pair ofdiametrically opposed inwardly extending locking lugs,'lhe resiliencyand size of the skirt being such that the cap can be readily snapped onover the shoulder of the container and have its lugs grip under suchshoulder and' prevent its premature knocking olf from the container,said skirt and container being .formed one relative to the other toprovide a space between the skirt and the side wall of the containerintermediate such lugs whereupon by squeezing the cap skirt between suchlugs the cap can he readily snapped oil while the top is parallel withthe mouth of the container, and a detachable CHARLES HAMMER.v

